No Pretense, Please!
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
As a child, my neighborhood friends and I enjoyed pretending like we were cowboys and Indians. Our vivid imaginations allowed us to take on the roles of other make-believe characters as well.
We understand that pretending is normal for a young child, but some carry the habit of pretending into adulthood — including those who are members of the Lord’s church.
What these folks do in church has no bearing on what they do the rest of the week. On Sunday they praise God heartily, but on Monday they suddenly become different people. What they express in worship is unfortunately not seen in their daily behavior.
Our Lord Jesus Christ knows that we can fall into this trap easily. This is why in His prayer to His Father He said:
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15).
As Christians, God has placed us in our various communities to make a difference in our world (Matthew 5:14-16). As He protects us from falling for the wiles of the devil through His word (Ephesians 6:10-18), He wants us to daily live by that same consistent standard in every facet of our lives (Matthew 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3) — not just on Sunday.
No pretense, please!
Related Articles:
- Let’s Be Sincere Followers Of Christ!
- It’s The Things On The Inside That Matter
- “Turning Up The Radio”